Vietnamese tourists are returning to South Korea in large numbers as non-stop promotional efforts seem to help dissipate concerns over the recent MERS outbreak.

Figures from the Korea Tourism Organization in Hanoi showed that after months of cancellations, the Vietnam market has bounced back with nearly 20,000 people booking tours in October, up 37.2 percent from a year ago.

Le Thi Thu Trang, chief marketing official of the organization, told Saigon Times Online that tourists started to come back in August after canceling tours in June and July.